Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned whether the International Cricket Council (ICC) should shift the 2024 T20 World Cup games in Florida to some other venue as well. He also added that the decision should be taken not to favour Pakistan but to think about all aspects. However, Pakistan and the USA are scheduled to face Ireland in Lauderhill in flood-stricken Florida as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “I am going to start with a slightly tricky topic. There is actually a lot of merit in that but it won’t be discussed that much. The Florida games might not happen at all. There are flash floods, the cars are floating, and there is loss of life and property, and matches have been kept there. I am not saying matches have been kept there because they knew it’s going to rain. However, the reality is that it’s not just raining, it’s a storm. The chances of matches happening are extremely low. It’s not about what will happen with Pakistan or for the USA. This is not to favor Pakistan.”
However, Aakash Chopra shared that India are also scheduled to take on Canada at the same venue and a lot of money is riding on every match as well. While claiming that New York might not be a feasible venue, Chopra stated that the Florida games could be shifted to Dallas.
“Can these matches be shifted somewhere else? Dallas is a place where there is no rain and the ground is also good. They have already started dismantling the New York ground although they knew the Florida situation is very bad. They might not have been able to do that (move games to New York) because they might have their rules and it was a makeshift ground, but Dallas is actually a cricket stadium. There are logistical issues because the fans have made their bookings and all their plans will be derailed if you make last-minute changes. However, you will not be able to have the match in Florida in any case. So if the match cannot happen at all, their plans will be derailed in any case,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
